leonwaldofandomcom-20200213-history
Leon Waldo
Leon Waldo (born March 14, 1996) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born Walter Lee Carter, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Waldo moved to Cleveland, Ohio, at a few months old. He became a performer at age 5 when he first began learning piano and singing with his siblings in churches around the Greater Cleveland area. In 2008, at the age of 12, Waldo moved to Conroe, Texas along with his mother and two older brothers. It was then he began writing his first songs. He attended Conroe High School, where he joined the varsity choir and theatre programs. In 2012, he released his first studio album The Book of Leon under independent record label FyveStar Records'' (now Waldo Warehouse, LLC) started by his mother, Jessica Carter, in support of his music. He performed at several shows in support of the album, including Dosey Doe's Coffee House in Houston, Texas. With his request, the album was taken down from physical and digital stores. High School In November 2012, Waldo performed in the role of Artie Shaughnessy in the John Guare play House of Blue Leaves at the start of his junior year. This required him to play piano live on stage. The show received rave reviews from showgoers and local newspaper outlets. He described it as a 'breakthrough moment' in his career. In 2013, his theatre teachers commissioned him to write original compositions to be performed live alongside a cellist, for an adaption of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis. In December, Waldo auditioned and was admitted to Berklee College of Music. In May 2014, Waldo graduated from Conroe High School. In August, he legally changed his name from Walter Lee Carter to Leon Waldo. Early Career In September 2014, Waldo moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Berklee. It was during his time at Berklee where he became heavily involved in electronic music and first produced music using Ableton software. In December 2015, Waldo co-wrote and co-produced ''Living In Imagination, ''the title track of Michael Alexander's debut album. In February 2016, Waldo was commissioned to record live music cues for his high school's theatre UIL One Act Play competition. He was then subsequently commissioned for the 2017 and 2018 competitions. On his 20th birthday, Waldo released ''Faded, ''his first single since ''The Book of Leon. In the same year, he released his single Tell Me ''after performing the song at a Berklee Songwriter's Showcase. By the end of 2016, Waldo requested the removal of ''Faded ''from digital stores. In February 2017, Waldo began interning for a music brand management company. His popularity grew in Boston, eventually opening for Anna Wise for her tour stop at The Middle East in April. He then performed a Sofar Sounds show in Dorchester, respectively. Waldo graduated from Berklee College of Music in May. Waldo Warehouse and Album Releases In October 2017, Waldo moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia where his mother had relocated, after expressing the need for a change in scenery. He turned a bedroom into a recording studio. In January 2018, Waldo and Carter started a new business partnership, renegotiating his contract and in the process cofounding Waldo Warehouse, LLC. Their new label absorbed FyveStar Records though ''The Book of Leon, Faded and Tell Me ''all remained under the previous label's distribution. Waldo began recording and producing material for his debut EP ''Pariah. ''at "The Warehouse," along with UK producer and songwriter Louis Thompson-Amadei. On April 13, 2018 Waldo released the first single ''N.R.4.L. along with a lyric collage video. On May 25, Pariah. ''was release under Waldo Warehouse, LLC the first release under the new label along a music video the second single, ''Higher.'' The album received generally positive reviews with local radio and airplay in Boston, California and Miami as well as overseas. In the following weeks, Waldo Warehouse uploaded ''Behind The Music: Pariah. ''onto their website, showcasing a 'behind-the-scenes' look into the making of ''Pariah. In the summer of 2018, Waldo performed in several venues in support of the EP, including another show with Sofar Sounds in the South End. His performance on September 7 in Harrisonburg, Virginia was cancelled due to unknown emergency the previous night. He concluded his summer tour on September 15 at Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Pariah. In September 2014, Waldo moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Berklee. It was during his time at Berklee where he became heavily involved in electronic music and first produced music using Ableton software. In late 2014, Waldo first wrote Saints & Stoners. It became the first song confirmed for the EP. In January 2015, Waldo met UK producer Louis Thompson-Amadei at a basement house party in Allston. The two quickly began producing songs together, though it wasn't until June 2016 did Waldo discuss writing an EP. Though Waldo and Thompson-Amadei produced numerous track, much of the album's production and vocals weren't recorded until after Waldo's relocation to Virginia. Waldo described the move as, "I needed to clear my head. I was entwined with all of this stuff that didn't really matter. I needed to step away from it and remember who I was." Waldo and Thompson-Amadei kept in contact by sending tracks and ideas back and forth via email. In 2019, Thompson-Amadei said, "You have to know your shit to keep up with Leon. He has very particular 'Waldoisms.' It's a gift when you're on it, and a curse when you're not. Either way, you're astonished to watch him work." N.R.4.L. was released on April 13, 2018 as the lead single of Pariah. Higher featuring singer Shania Wilcox became the 2nd single on May 17th. The album was released on May 25th. Lunar Confessions. On December 31, 2018 Waldo posted the album cover of Lunar Confessions on social media with the caption "Lunar Confessions (Mar. 2019)" In early March 2019, the Instagram caption was edited to "Lunar Confessions (Apr. 2019) though the pinned tweet on Twitter, remained with the original caption. In March, Waldo posted a trailer for the new album. On April 4, Lunar Confessions was released under Waldo Warehouse, LLC. On April 6, a visual concept was released featuring voice overs by Waldo and various scenes including snippets of music from the album. The album received generally mixed to positive reviews from independent music magazines. Tonya Fisher of Houston's Backpage rated the album 3.5/5 adding, "It's a good listen from the Texas native. But by the final track, you're still waiting for the big bang." Joe Dillard of Music Mag LA rated the album 4/5 stating, "Waldo's vocal versatility is one to be commended, especially on Dark Side of the Moon. His artistry is undeniable." Activism In November 2014, Waldo participated in a march throughout the streets of Boston, in protest of the fatal shooting of Mike Brown and police brutality. "I looked out my window and heard the chants. I didn't even think about it, I just knew I needed to be there. This was important. I ended up in the front line walking 6 miles in nothing but houseshoes and the police inches from my face. And I didn't blink once." In June 2016, after the shooting in wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting Waldo along with friend Sarathi Garimella co-founded The Orlando Project. Together they staged a silent-march throughout the city of Boston ending on the city hall steps with gatherers joining in along their journey. With the help of over 50 musicians, they recorded Hairspray's "I Know Where I've Been" as tribute to the victims. In June 2017, Waldo became a Songwriter Mentor at Berklee College of Music during their summer music program. A yearly effort to get youth from around the world involved in music. In May 2019, Waldo's cover of Michael Jackson's Human Nature was featured on "Power To The Queer Kids" a compilation album featuring LGBTQ identifying artists. All proceed went to The Trevor Project. Relocation and Higher (A Mother's Reprise) In September 2019, Waldo announced via his Instagram account that he had relocated just outside London, United Kingdom to study at the University of Portsmouth. On December 4, 2019 Waldo released a single "Higher (A Mother's Reprise) in tribute to his mother, who'd passed away a month prior. The single features a recording of the two singing "Higher" from his first EP, Pariah. at a private concert given by Waldo during the previous summer. Waldo originally wanted to release a live album featuring songs from both albums but due to scheduling of his relocation he scrapped the project. He is heard calling his mother on stage, where they sing together. Afterwards he states, "You know without you, without your support, I would not be on the stage right now. And I just hope you know that." To which she responds, "I'm extremely proud of the man you are, and the journey that you've taken. I love you son." Upcoming Projects Waldo has hinted at the possibility of an upcoming project on several occasions. In August 2019, during an interview Waldo announced the plans for an upcoming project entitled Circa '96. In October, he posed the question, "Should I release new music?" via Instagram using several pictures of President Barack Obama. In December 2019, Lunar Confessions. producer Konstantin Valencheyk posted a 'throwback' photo of the two them in his home studio with the caption, "#TBT to this guy. Ready to do it again." musicia Category:Musician __FORCETOC__